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Dragon T · 06:26 PM

One of the most time consuming parts of building a theme for me seems to be dealing with the many parts that make up a button.
I had an idea, (though I'm not sure if this is possible.)
What I would love, is to be able to take a button, (one single image) import it into ThemePark, and let ThemePark split it up as needed.

And, maybe you've already done something to help this...
but I found the 'metal window' gradient/mask, texture/mask a very touchy balancing act.
maybe if there was some sort of slider to balance between the gradient and the texture...
or something...
maybe?

varients:
I wonder if it might be useful to have 'Theme Packages' containing a 'Master Theme' and 'varients' (which only contain the differences from the Master Theme). So that ThemePark looks to the active Varient first, then (where the varient is blank) to the Master, then (where the master is blank) to Aqua.
This would make multiple varients much smaller... and maybe faster to make?
I guess this is more a ShapeShifter suggestion than ThemePark.
=)
DT

quandarry · May 5, 2004, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by Dragon T:
One of the most time consuming parts of building a theme for me seems to be dealing with the many parts that make up a button.
I had an idea, (though I'm not sure if this is possible.)
What I would love, is to be able to take a button, (one single image) import it into ThemePark, and let ThemePark split it up as needed.

here! here!

i think smeger is working on this...i hope.

it can be maddening and insanity can occur and frequently does.

Hi I'm Mike · May 5, 2004, 05:35 PM

i would just like him to put all the images that make up the divided buttons and or tabs into one long one to edit it and then it pastes all the right ones where they should go

fireside · May 5, 2004, 05:41 PM

have the magical shapeshifter features in preview. making the f@cking progress bars easier to make (all of them).

fireside · May 5, 2004, 05:42 PM

Originally posted by Dragon T:
varients:
I wonder if it might be useful to have 'Theme Packages' containing a 'Master Theme' and 'varients' (which only contain the differences from the Master Theme). So that ThemePark looks to the active Varient first, then (where the varient is blank) to the Master, then (where the master is blank) to Aqua.
This would make multiple varients much smaller... and maybe faster to make?

not to sound like a dick, but Catalyst, XTender's theme maker has this feature.

Dragon T · May 5, 2004, 05:49 PM

Mike:
yes, but cutting up the icons either take up a lot of time (and as quandarry said, creates madness,) or requires the need of a lot of new script writing. (like Max's).
If we are going to use a script... why not write it into ThemePark, (as an option,) if possible?
=)

smeger · May 5, 2004, 07:23 PM

These are all good ideas. I don't comment on future features, but I'll say that none of these ideas are new to me. I'm very, very, very aware that it needs to be easier and less tedious to assemble themes.

NetworkShadow · May 5, 2004, 08:09 PM

What I would love, is to be able to take a button, (one single image) import it into ThemePark, and let ThemePark split it up as needed

Could Photoshop slices importing be implomented in themepark? Maybe if the slices were named corectly by the themer? That would save a lot of time and sounds like the most realistic way of going about that kind of thing.

Dragon T · May 6, 2004, 04:36 AM

Something else I just noticed would be real handy. The ability to copy all the text colours at once as opposed to one at a time.
In fact... would it be possible to copy a complete heirachal tree with all included layers?

By the way... I hope U don't mind me suggesting this stuff...
I'm just sayin whatever I think I would like. =)
I begining to like ThemePark lots... =)
(I feel a bit like I've been given a cool new car and I'm asking where the wings are.) lol

smeger · May 6, 2004, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by Dragon T:
Something else I just noticed would be real handy. The ability to copy all the text colours at once as opposed to one at a time.
In fact... would it be possible to copy a complete heirachal tree with all included layers?

I've got an idea for this that I've been mulling over. But I'm not sure how I'd handle it if not all of the images in the hierarchy were the same size. I think I need to let it percolate a bit more.

By the way... I hope U don't mind me suggesting this stuff...
I'm just sayin whatever I think I would like. =)
I begining to like ThemePark lots... =)
(I feel a bit like I've been given a cool new car and I'm asking where the wings are.) lol

Course not! If you guys don't tell me what you need, I don't know, uhh, what you need!

Ozzpot · May 6, 2004, 02:08 PM

Smeger, could you make Themepark take an idea stored in my brain and automatically create a theme from it? That would save me a lot of time learning how to do this stuff.

Thanks.

Dragon T · May 7, 2004, 08:08 PM

Using Photoshop slices seems to be a good idea.
Though, what I think would be handy, is to be able to 'Retrieve from Photoshop' selected areas.

smeger · May 8, 2004, 04:46 AM

Originally posted by Dragon T:
Using Photoshop slices seems to be a good idea.
Though, what I think would be handy, is to be able to 'Retrieve from Photoshop' selected areas.

Elaborate?

Dragon T · May 8, 2004, 05:46 AM

What I meant was...
I often use a script that I once wrote, that copies a flattened version of the visible layers, within the portion of the image that is selected by the Rectangular Marque Tool.
(this is handy when copying from multiple Style Layers)
At the moment, ThemePark retrieves from Photoshops front window, copying the complete image.
If I want to copy only part of a button's image, I have to crop the image down to the correct part (which can have an effect on the way the 'Style Layer' apears.

So, I think it would be useful if ThemePark retrieved from the area selected by the Rectangular Marque Tool in the front window, instead of retrieving the entire image.
=)

Dragon T · Jun 1, 2004, 04:05 PM

Something else that would be handy...
The ability to control the finder window outline that osX adds everywhere.
Around the outside of the window... around the inside of the window... and inside the sidebar.
Also, control over the drop shadow effect.

I'm wondering if any of these could be controlled by using images (as opposed to just changing colours)... I imagine, that this might even lead to the ability to add to the outer edge (changing the shape) of the window... maybe? =)

arcticmac · Jun 1, 2004, 04:48 PM

Originally posted by Dragon T:

I often use a script that I once wrote, that copies a flattened version of the visible layers, within the portion of the image that is selected by the Rectangular Marque Tool.

you mean something like what photoshop's "copy merged"(shift-apple-c) does?

Dragon T · Jun 1, 2004, 05:19 PM

You are kidding me! =/ =)
yes, ummm, exactly like photshop's copy merged!
has that always been there?
why didn't I know that?

hey that's cool .... thanks arcticmac
I've learnt something real handy.
that woulda saved me so many hours had I known it a few years ago. LOL =)

(Am I gonna have to start reading manuals?)

fireside · Jun 1, 2004, 07:23 PM

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
Could Photoshop slices importing be implomented in themepark? Maybe if the slices were named corectly by the themer? That would save a lot of time and sounds like the most realistic way of going about that kind of thing.

yes but then i'd have to figure out how to work slices.

NetworkShadow · Jun 1, 2004, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by smeger:
Elaborate?

lol lost track of this topic, sorry.

Anyway, with photoshop slices you can cut an image into multiple images, (invaluable for wbdesign) one can also name each slice too, so maybe there would be a way of scripting an "import slices" and each peace would be imported into TP for each element in the button, (etc) if the slices were named correctly? Maybe a Photoshop plug-in for assisting in exporting would be helpful also?

Another random idea along that line; would be built-in Photoshop templates for each peace, (a button, or scroll bar etc) with slices and or guidlines already in place so all the designer has to do is create the button graphics and hit "export to themepark" (if my other idea could work).

cube3 · Jun 2, 2004, 04:50 PM

Full "preview" of metal finder window would be most helpful, right now I have to apply the skin to see minor changes, it's very frustrating.

A double up pane, which allows you to have the theme and the variation open at the same time to compare certain elements. Running back and forth the up the column view also take too much time.

fireside · Jun 2, 2004, 05:18 PM

a drawer or something else than that little box thing for Max's comments. its frustrating to try to read what he has to say in that little box.

Dragon T · Jun 2, 2004, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by fireside:
a drawer or something else than that little box thing for Max's comments. its frustrating to try to read what he has to say in that little box.

Or a Contextual Max Help Popup Menu, maybe? =)

Originally posted by CUBE3:
A double up pane, which allows you to have the theme and the variation open at the same time to compare certain elements. Running back and forth the up the column view also take too much time.

The ability to copy/paste an entire branch would save so much running about.
(I think that copying braches may be creating a bit of a headache in the ThemePark Constructorer Kit department) maybe if it could park a branch somewhere, while it shuffled the bits?